The most common method of installing electrical wiring and receptacles is by manually connecting each wire to its corresponding terminal on a receptacle. During the construction of many buildings and residential homes, installation of electrical wiring precedes finishing of the walls. Generally, electrical installations proceed in three stages. First, a plurality of junction boxes are installed where electrical receptacles will eventually be located. In a second stage, individual wires or multiple wires housed in a sheath are pulled through the walls and ceilings to junction boxes from a breaker box or control panel. At each end of each wire pull, excess wire, usually 10 to 12 inches, is left extending through the junction box. Once the electrical wiring is “roughed-in” the electrical installation is usually put on hold while the walls and ceilings are finished. After the wall studs are covered, the electrical installation resumes with the final stage.
The electrician returns to strip any sheathing and insulation from the individual wires and then proceeds to connect the wire to the proper terminals on each receptacle or switch. Once each wire is properly terminated on the receptacle, the receptacle is forced into, and then attached to the junction box. After securing the receptacle to the junction box, a cover plate is attached to the receptacle to prevent objects, such as fingers, from entering between the junction box and the electrical terminals on the receptacle. Once the cover plate is installed, electrically powered appliances may be plugged into the receptacle.
As used in this specification the term wire means any electrically conductive material. The most widely used wire is made of copper, though in some instance aluminum may be used. Wire used in electrical installations is usually insulated. While the wires may be separate, in many installations, for example in residential installations, three or more conductors are bound together as one cable in a protective sheath. Romex NM-B, is a commonly used type of sheathed cable. As previously stated, the sheathed cables contain three or more insulated wires that are encased in another outer covering for additional protection from moisture, heat, and abrasion. Sheathed cable is designated by wire gauge sizes and the number of conductive wires within the sheath. For example, a “14-2” Romex wire is two insulated conductors plus a ground non-insulated conductor enclosed in the sheath. The instant invention is equally successful in connecting sheathed cable and individual wires.
The term receptacle means an arrangement of the three or four conductive wire connections to physically and electrically accept an electrical plug for domestic or industrial use. The plugs may take many physical forms. Most countries have adopted standard plug designs that mate with a corresponding receptacle design. For example, a common plug in the United States is the NEMA 1-5 configuration, though other types having a ground connection, such as NEMA 5-15, are also common. The NEMA 1-15 plug fits the NEMA 1-15, NEMA 5-15, and NEMA 5-20 receptacles in most locations. The plugs may be polarized. Other types of plug/receptacle configurations in common use around the world are a Europlug (CEE 7/16), a JIS 8303 plug/receptacle found in Japan, and BS 4573 plug/receptacle found in England. While the above mentioned plugs/receptacle configurations provide 125 VAC connectivity, other plugs and receptacles, such as NEMA 14-30 and NEMA 14-50, are designed to provide both 125V and 250V AC connectivity. In the United States, the NEMA 14-30 connection is mostly used on electric clothes dryers, and the NEMA 14-50 connection is often used for connecting electric ranges to the appropriate receptacle. In addition, receptacles may be duplex receptacles, GFCI, or AFCI type receptacles.
The drawbacks to manually connecting each wire to a terminal on a receptacle or switch are numerous. The foremost being the great expense. Electrical installations are costly for many reasons, but two reasons predominate. First, an electrician must be involved. Electricians are skilled laborers. Due to the demand for electricians, particularly for the knowledge they possess, they do not work cheaply. Secondly, the amount of time required to complete an electrical installation is great. The majority of the time is spent performing labor intensive tasks. In a residential home, the bulk of the wiring is to convenience receptacles. There may be as many as ten 120V 15A receptacles arranged on a single circuit. Other specialty circuits also exist. For instance, an air conditioner, an electric range, a furnace, an electric water heater, and a sump pump, are usually placed onto a dedicated circuit. With respect to the receptacles and specialty circuits, after the system is designed, the bulk of the time is spent connecting wires to their proper terminals. The process of locating the proper termination point and the terminating each wire is a straightforward, repetitious process.
Beside the cost, other drawbacks to manually terminating each wire are common. One is that the improper termination of wires is an electrical hazard. Improper termination may include connecting the wire to the wrong location, or it may include terminating the wire at the proper location but not fastening the wire tightly enough so that a loose connection results. Potential users of an improperly wired receptacle may be injured. In addition, improper wiring can result in fire.
Also known to installers is insufficient room in the junction box for excess wire length plus the receptacle. During installation excess wire length is pulled through at each junction box. If the installer cuts the wire too short, they will not have enough wire to work with or will have to pull another wire through a finished wall. If the wire is too long, there will not be enough space inside the junction box for the wire and the receptacle.
There remains an unfulfilled need for an electrical connection system which can simplify receptacle installation, and thus reduce installation costs, in commercial and residential buildings. Additionally, there remains an unfulfilled need to provide an electrical connection system which can be used to quickly and easily expand an existing electrical system that does not require an in depth understanding of electrical wiring.